To Nourish Body and Spirit

Obesity―Are We Listening?

We hear it again and again. Obesity is killing us! Are we listening, or maybe the question is do we care? A report, The Heavy Burden of Obesity 2019, identified obesity issues from a compilation of data from 52 countries as well as the US. Within the next three decades, obesity will result in 462 million new cases of cardiovascular disease and 212 million cases of diabetes. In the US, obesity will reduce life expectancy by nearly four years. In most of the countries, more than half of the population is overweight. In the US, that figure is nearly 70 percent. Most people have succumbed to sedentary activities, and 40 percent fail to consume enough fruits and vegetables. That’s a message for all of us whether we are obese or not. It matters.

This study and others show that obesity by itself isn’t the only culprit decreasing life expectancy. Many food-related practices under gird the reason for overweight societies.

The Lancet published a study from 195 countries on the relationship between dietary habits and chronic non-communicable diseases between the period 1990-2017. Diet-related deaths were highest in Uzbekistan and lowest in Israel. The US ranked 43rd. In 2017, eleven million deaths worldwide were linked to consumption of poor diets high in sugar, salt, and processed meat that contributed to heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. Subjects drank more than 10 times the recommended amount of sugary drinks, a common factor in obesity. They consumed less nuts and seeds, whole grains, and fruits than suggested by national dietary standards and used excessive amounts of sodium.

A study of nearly 45,000 French 45 years-of-age or older found that those who consumed greater amounts of ultra-processed food had a greater risk of early death. Ready-to-eat or-heat foods from ingredients combined with additives signified ultra-processed foods. Those of younger age, lower income, lower educational level, living alone, having excessive body weight and less physical activity were likely to choose ultra-processed foods.

These studies aren’t the first concerning obesity’s impact on longevity nor will they be the last. Most studies found obese men more susceptible to disease conditions leading to early death than were obese women. In some studies, obese men lowered their life expectancy as much as 20 years compared to 5 years for women. That’s significant.

In the US, obesity directly or indirectly impacts healthcare costs. Obesity accounts for more than 20 percent of healthcare dollars due to conditions caused or complicated by obesity. As we consider why healthcare costs continue to escalate, remember that the increasing number of people with obesity is a major cause. When society improves eating habits and decides to take positive action about the rising number of overweight and obese citizens, healthcare costs can decline. Issues of excessive weight and unhealthy food choices affect all of us. Are we listening? What are we willing to do about it?